Jack Harlow – “Jackman” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from Louisville, Kentucky recording artist, producer & actor Jack Harlow. Breaking through when the pandemic started off the single “What’s Poppin’?”, this resulted in DJ Drama & Don Cannon signing him to their Atlantic Records imprint Generation Now Entertainment as well as them putting out a mediocre full-length debut with That’s What They All Say that same winter & who could forget the arduous listen of a sophomore effort Come Home the Kids Miss You last spring? However, hearing that he dropped Jackman out of the blue over the weekend was in fact surprising & thought it’d be more introspective given that the titular is his real first name.

“Common Ground” opens the album with a string-heavy instrumental compellingly tackling the divide & arrogance between white-suburban children & black children raised in poorer neighborhoods to my surprise referencing Microsoft 365 whereas “They Don’t Love It” works in a peppy beat talking about how no one is cut from the same thread as him when there are more skilled lyricists out there right now that you’re better off listening to. “Ambitious” looks back at his life in the last decade with a soul sample throughout that is until “Is That Ight?” talks about being minimalistic & grateful over a piano instrumental.

The settle vocal loop & claps throughout “Gang Gang Gang” enhance the atmosphere as Jack addresses his relationships with shitty people just before “Denver” making it clear that so many losing hope in those dreams with a jangly sample flip from FNZ. “No Enhancers” has one of the strongest beats on the record courtesy of DJ Dahi even though the lyrics about all natural women seem forced while the playfully produced “It Can’t Be” obnoxiously tries to put a finger on why he gets shits whether it be the color of his skin or the swag he has. The penultimate track “Blame on Me” samples “Blame” by Gray Hawken thanks to Boi-1da opening up about his upbringing & “Questions” soothingly ties it all up pondering all these questions in his mind.

Given the fact that Jack Harlow’s output in the past has been mediocre at best & unlistenable at worst, a lot of people including myself weren’t expecting much going into Jackman. But surprisingly, it could very well be his most impressive body of work to date even though I still come away from it torn. The subject matter is more personal & the production isn’t as tepid, but the album’s biggest cardinal sin is the amount of corny bars throughout although I appreciate him trying to be more lyrical.

Score: 3/5

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Homixide Gang – “Snot or Not” review

This is the sophomore full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia duo Homixide Gang. Consisting of Homixide Beno! & Homixide Meechie, they started turning heads a couple years ago after dropping their debut EP Snotty World & that led to trap trailblazer/rage pioneer Playboi Carti making them the 3rd act to sign to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records following Ken Carson & Destroy Lonely respectively. But coming off their major label debut Homixide Lifestyle over the fall, Beno! & Meechie are now following it up with Snot or Not.

“ADHD” is a rage-inducing opener making it clear that motherfuckers better have they cash whereas “Homixide Language” takes the trap metal route so both of them can talk about how they can’t walk or hold the strap like them. “5!RE” returns to hypertrap turf stepping into the spot with the guys cautioning not to play with the blicks they’re carrying on the side leading into the futuristically bassy “Wants & Needs” produced by tana & thr6x asking their lovers what they need.

Moving on from there with “TNT”, we have the Homixide Gang blending trap with rock once more as they discuss letting them choppers ring with their necks on froze & “C4N” is a remarkable Meechie solo cut with an synth-based instrumental from Malay Raw attached to to it talking about coming from stacking bread every single day & even Comme des Garçons. “Snot Sh!t” declares themselves as real pimps & that their opposition hasn’t seen nothing over more rage beats, but then “Dive In” has more cloudier approach thanks to Dynox talking about not playing with them.

“Uzi Work” bombastically wants to see how the Draco works & that all of their friends are dead even though this ain’t no Lil Uzi Vert type shit while the song “2 da Face” has more luxurious yet vibrant quality to the instrumental reminding that they really about that slime life. The penultimate track “Block Work” speaks on hitting & selling them bricks over more hypertrap production at the helm of Internet Money Records founder Taz Taylor & Cxdy prior to “Flight’s Booked” sending off the album with them describing life touring overseas.

Now I couldn’t tell you if the grooming allegations that recently came out towards Beno! a couple months ago are true or not, but what I can say is that I think those who liked Homixide Lifestyle as much as myself will enjoy Snot or Not almost on the same level. They’re sticking to their signature rage sound, Meechie interestingly enough outperforms Beno! on a lot of these cuts & I like how they held it down on their own as opposed to the 50/50 guest list from last time.

Score: 3/5

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Billy Atlas – Self-Titled review

Billy Atlas is an MC/producer duo from San Diego, California consisting of Billy NoJokes on the mic & Admiral Atlas behind the boards respectively. Neither of whom have worked with each other in the past surprisingly considering the fact that they’re both from the same neck of the woods, but come to the realization that now is the time for them to form like Voltron & put out an eponymous debut EP to coincide with the celebration of Billy’s born day.

The titular intro kicks off the album with a grungy boom bap instrumental keeping the vibrations high for 78 seconds whereas “Nada Ain’t It” takes a more sample based approach with some kicks & snares attached to it talking about those who actually think they got it on the mic. “Soul Sweat” makes it known that this music shit gets him high with a more lo-fi vibe to it leading into “Premium Petro” working in some organs to compare his rhymes to high quality crack.

Johnny Hoax slides through on “Cook It More” I’d a flute/boom bap crossover talking about not having a chance to fail because they’re masterminds just before “It’s a Dub” with RMthePoet displays a back & forth chemistry that actually isn’t too bad over the dustiest of beats imaginable. “In the Nude” throws a little bit of distortion into the mix calling this the anthem while the song “Belligerent” incorporates more woodwinds to get hostile.

The penultimate track “God’s Chair” has more morbid quality to the beat making it known he’s in the upper echelon while the official closer to the album “Nothingless” weaves in some more sample chops cautioning to watch out exactly who you spend your energy on. “140” by Masamoon however is a perfect bonus cut preluding their upcoming debut album with a cutthroat ballad addressing those who’ve praised for death in the past 100 seconds.

NoJokes been putting it down for the past decade with 2 full-lengths & an EP on the solo tip, but I think we’ve only been seeing the real beginning of his growth ever since the formation of Masamoon & this self-titled offering from Billy Atlas is a short yet worthy way for the west coast duo to introduce themselves. The admiral’s lo-fi, dirty production matched with lyricism that knows no bounds is certainly more than enough to satisfy any underground head.

Score: 4/5

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Micall Parknsun – “Still” review

This is the 7th studio LP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Micall Parknsun. Making his debut under Low Life Records in 2005 describing life as The Working Class Dad, his debut mixtape The Interview would be his last offering for the label & signed to YNR Productions to release the sophomore effort 1st 2nd Time Around as well as Me, Myself & Akai. I Should’ve Done This Time Ago was ok, but his Boot Recordsdebut Practicing Tag Team Moves at the beginning of 2017 was better. Coming off the superior Back in Business EP however, we’re getting a statement regarding him Still being here.

The self-produced “Same Difference” opens up with a drumless intro clocking at 2 & a half minutes talking about him continuing to try to make change whereas “Kept Going” has a jazzier vibe instrumentally expressing his refusal of hanging it up. The title track stylistically takes the boom bap route responding to people wanting to know if he’s lost a step leading into “Same Ol’” featuring Kyza Sayso & Skriblah bringing the trio together to talk about not changing.

“Sorry 4 the Wait” incorporates some buzzing synthesizers apologizing for how long it took him to make Still just before “From King to a Gawd” featuring Joker Starr comes through with my personal favorite guest appearance, stripping the drums again to talk about their own separate elevations over some horns. “Do Dat” kicks off the 2nd half speaking of simply doing his own thing while “The Harvest” featuring Naughtz hops over a funky loop dropping boastful lyricism.

As for “In & Out (Make It Count)”, we have Micall talking about the fact that people are either determined to chase success or they’re not while “Ever Since” opulently discusses his discography evidently testifying to his legacy in the UK hip hop scene. “Back” has a gullier approach stylistically talking about his return & the drumless closer “Own It” sends off the album defining dopeness, including a spoken word outro performed by his son Josiah.

Spending the last 3 years producing for local artists including Axel Holy & Juga-Naut to name a couple, Still has noticeably lesser guest appearances Micall Parknsun’s previous full-length The Magnum Opus produced by Giallo Point although it’s exciting to hear him producing a great majority of it. Some might even find themselves disappointed with the predominantly drumless sound, but it doesn’t bother me since his passionate performances additionally make it worth your time.

Score: 4/5

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Lloyd Banks – “The Course of the Inevitable 3: Pieces of My Pain” review

Lloyd Banks is a 40 year old MC from Queens, New York City gaining notoriety in the 2000s for his witty punchlines along as well as being an original member of G-Unit alongside childhood friends 50 Cent & Tony Yayo. After the group’s silent disbandment in 2015, he kept himself busy for a little while by releasing A.O.N. 2 (All Or Nothing 2): L.I.U. (Live It Up) & Halloween Havoc 3: 4 Days of Fury just before taking on a 5-year hiatus that really lasted until he received a song placement on the soundtrack for Griselda Records’ theatrical debut Conflicted already 2 & a half years prior. He eventually made a grand return by dropping The Course of the Inevitable & a sequel, but is rounding out the trilogy in the form of his 6th full-length album.

“Pieces of My Pain” starts things off with some pianos, kicks & snares from Cartune Beatz as Lloyd asks how they supposed to change as well as having to see it 20/20 whereas “Onyx AMG” looks back when he used to be down as opposed to being on top now over a glistening boom bap instrumental. “Money Machine” keeps it raw thanks to Haas Almahdi as he watches the green grow just before the suspenseful “Cliffhanger” laced by V Don talks about how friends change & all that he has is himself.

Meanwhile on “101 Razors”, we have Method Mantagging along professing that money won’t ever change them keeping it in the basement as far as sound goes leading into “Movie Scenes” talking about being a big timer on top of a ghostly beat. “Opened Gates” weaves in a sample with some kicks & snares asking what would you do to be remembered, but then “LSD” with Vado makes it clear they ain’t showing love to anyone over a raw boom bap instrumental.

“Voices” flips another sample throughout layering more kicks & snares admitting he still hears voices in his head telling him they’ll never let him lay down while “Red Alert” with Tony Yayo & 38 Speshsomberly talks about hitting them right where it hurts. “Keys to Success” comes through with a shimmering boom bap beat telling y’all what it takes to be successful in life while “Automatic Pilot” by The Council couldn’t prelude the supergroup’s upcoming full-length debut any better.

The final leg of the album starts off with “Invisible” goes chipmunk soul acknowledging that he won’t see the ones he can count on to call whatsoever as soon as he makes it happen while the song “Daddy’s Little Girl” is a heartfelt ode to his daughter. The penultimate track “Showers” is a somber boom bap ballad talking about the love making the outcome better & “Deceitful Intentions” with Cormega is a sample based closer airing out those who be fraudulent.

The whole Course of the Inevitable trilogy has caused everyone to renew interest in Lloyd once again & I can definitely see why the final installment here is his favorite of the 3 personally. Cartune Beatz gets his shine with most of the production & the lyrics are more personal than the last 2 albums. Whether it’s a 4th Course of the Inevitable or something different, the most skilled lyricist in 50’s old crew is further revealing himself to be the most consistent.

Score: 3.5/5

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Swizz Beatz – “Hip Hop 50, Vol. 2” review

This is the debut EP from New York producer, “rapper”, DJ, songwriter, record executive & hype man Swizz Beatz. Emerging already a quarter of a century ago as the in-house producer for Ruff Ryders Entertainment, he later started his now defunct Full Surface Records in 2001 & dropped a decent compilation called G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories the following year on my 6th birthday. It wouldn’t be until 2007 however that he would try to officially go solo with 1 Man Band Man, a solidly produced album that was unfortunately weighed down by the lack of features & of course Swizz’ horrendous rapping on every song. He eventually took a backseat from the mic on the sophomore effort Poison over a decade later & is doing so on the Mass Appeal Records-backed Hip Hop 50, Vol. 2 following up the Hip Hop 50 EP that DJ Premier dropped through Nas’ indie label last summer.

“Runaway” by Nas starts off the whole thing with a soul sample & admitting that he’s still trapped in a box tryna clear his name whereas “This Shit Right Here” by Lil Wayne has a more celebratory vibe as Weezy F drops some fly braggadocio. “Take ‘Em Out” by Benny the Butcher, Jadakiss & ScarLip goes into boom bap turf making it clear that it’s all about the calls prior to “City Sound Like” by Fivio Foreign & Bandmanrill dives into synth territory paying homage to the Brooklyn drill scene with Fivio stealing the show. “Say Less” by A Boogie wit da Hoodie & Lil Durk finds the pair talking about they ain’t squashing shit over a cinematic trap instrumental, but then “Khalas” by Jay Electronica finishes the album with a drumless loop telling y’all about himself.

The previous Hip Hop 50 EP that Mass Appeal dropped last summer is still my favorite of the 2 that we’ve gotten so far, but I’d still say that the new installment here is worth checking out if you liked Poison as much as I did. Even though a couple of the guests punched under their weight with their performances, most of them manage to hit the mark as they rock it over Swizz’ signature production style. Curious to hear as to who’s producing the next installment of this series celebrating this culture we all know & love.

Score: 3.5/5

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Kovax – “Komplex” review

This is the 6th full-length album from Detroit emcee Kovax. Beginning to catch my interest when he opened up for the Last American Rock Stars at the release party for their MNE-backed self-titled debut, he then left me highly impressed with his previous effort Manifestor fully produced by Middle Finger Music co-founder Foul Mouth the following summer due to the eclectic range of sounds throughout from horrorcore to jazz rap & trap as well as the strong lyricism throughout. But as the 4 year anniversary of that previous body of work approaches in a couple months, Kovax is making a Komplex return.

“Posthumous” opens the album with a eerie trap anthem declaring to be back from the bottom whereas “Sights Set” takes the rap rock route thanks to Onry Ozzborn talking about taking all he needs with him to the target of his ambition. The title track has a chill boom bap approach to it admitting that he ain’t nothing like his brothers or cousins prior to “Isolation Tapes” blends some guitars, kicks & snares courtesy of DJ Los detailing his personal rigors of dealing with life during the 1st of 2 COVID lockdowns & all that came with it.

Moving forward to “Zip Zoom”, we have Kovax over a more bassier instrumental telling him to give him anything that’ll get him fucked up just before “Aura Glow” brings it back to a more boom bap sound with some keyboard melodies woven in. “Super Like” however has a peppier groove to the beat bragging that he just had to get laid, but then “Old Fashioned Blood” with Sankofa finds the pair over a dusty Marv Won instrumental spitting that hardcore shit.

Marv eventually hops on the mic too on the dreary “Chet Steadman” comparing their flows to the Rookie of the Year character until longtime collaborators J Bone & Big Dude reunite throughout “Simpin’” by delivering a quirkily comedic ballad about lust. “Steve ‘54” however ends the album with a sample-based tribute to his father.

Manifestor is still my favorite album of Vax’s yet that doesn’t change the fact that Komplex is still a worthy follow-up looking into the Detroit emcee’s rapidly changing, explosive creativity as some of his best songs to date reveal themselves here. The production pulls from pop, boom bap, trap & rock focusing more on real life stories, punch lines, catchy hooks & double time cadances.

Score: 3.5/5

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Kung Fu Vampire – “Blackheart Machine” review

Kung Fu Vampire is a 36 year old MC from San Jose, California who began breakdancing 3 decades ago & taught himself how to rap & sing while playing drums & bass as a hobby. He then began to make his presence in the underground felt by releasing his full-length debut Blood Bath Beyond in the fall of 2003, which would be followed up 5 years later by signing a 2-album deal with Mad Insanity Records for the sophomore effort Dead Sexy & eventually Love Bites. The Kung Fu Vampire returned after 3 & a half years in the form of Look Alive & again a few summers afterwards with his previous full-length Come Dawn after founding his own label Ultra Violet Entertainment. The last we heard from KFV however was the self-titled debut from Double Dragon & is finally unleashing his 6th album.

“Sugar” is a futuristic opener produced by Charlie Beans making it clear that he just wants to bite something sweet whereas the title track has a more cheerful tone to it talking about how he used to be happy. “How I’m Livin’” dives into trap turf courtesy of MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 trying not to change & advising to stay up out his way, but then “Gimme Skull” takes fellatio to a whole new level down to the electro-tinged instrumental.

Continuing with “5am”, we have the Kung Fu Vampire over a dubstep beat getting wild early as fuck in the morning leading into A-Wax tagging along for the guitar-tinged “Neck & Neck” as they talk about their significant others bagging killers. “Fur Sure” boasts that he ain’t got shit to prove at this point over a robotic instrumental just before “These Days” continues to draw from dance music talking about taking what he wants & running.

“Bigger Than Rap” makes it clear that they started a trend over a clinky trap beat until “Torment” with Trizz sees the 2 joining forces for a morbid wicked shit banger. The song “Eddie Money” returns to an EDM-inspired groove needing tickets to paradise while the penultimate track “Expired” talks about nothing being left but revenge & vedetta over another dancy beat. The closer “No More Bad Days” though ties everything up to an optimistic look at brighter days ahead.

Look Alive & Come Dawn have both ranked themselves high as amongst the best bodies of work throughout KFV’s discography with Blackheart Machine joining them rather quickly. The production that Action Paxton mostly handles is rather versatile pulling from EDM to trap & rock as opposed to the heavy 80s influence throughout the predecessor as the San Jose horrorcore veteran delivers amongst his fiery performances to date with a couple dope guest verses by his side.

Score: 4/5

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Zombie Juice – “Love Without Conditions” review

Zombie Juice is a 32 year old MC from Brooklyn, New York who came up as 1/3 of the trio Flatbush ZOMBiES when he & the other 2 members all attended Midwood High together. They would go on to release a couple mixtapes & albums together throughout the previous decade all to critical acclaim, but have been focusing on solo careers since their debut EP now, more than ɘver… with Meechy Darko being the first up at bat with a full-length album of his own executive produced by Dot da Genius last summer & Isaac Blaze being up next with his solo effort.

The album kicks off with Dylvinci taking the wavy route on “Melancholy” calling depression a bitch whereas “Hikari” follows it up with a jazzy boom bap jam produced by Erick the Architect talking about the light he brings his lover illuminating her through the darkness. Curren$y tags along for the synth-heavy “Terpalation” making it clear that they always want more, but then “Hootz” works in a wavy backdrop as well as some kicks & snares courtesy of Powers Pleasant talking about waking up next to something beautiful.

Moving on to “Dizzy”, we have The Underachievers joining Zombie Juice over a spacious ballad with some hi-hats that Issa Goldhappened to lace airing out those trying to kill then leading into the 2 Dead Boyz linking up for the desponding trap joint “Dr. Miami” talking about needing a nut & not missing their exes. “Say Enough” is more piano driven hoping everyone remembers him after a long year while the tranquil “Fly” talks about being on his way. The penultimate track “Alto” with Devin the Dude psychedelically acknowledges those figuring out how they did it & “Mindful” ends the album with a thoughtful 6 minute closer with a luxurious beat.

Gothic Luxury was such a solid way for Meech to differentiate himself as a solo act & what he does with both Flatbush AND the Beast Coast. As for Jewice, he manages to do the same thing on Love Without Conditions. The lyrics confess his experiences with abuse, homelessness & loss with the production ranging from trap to jazzy boom bap & even psychedelia. That leaves only Erick left to branch out by his lonely on an album that I hope elevates him from his early mixtapes/EPs.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ty Fontaine – “Black Truck Life” review

Ty Fontaine is a 23 year old recording artist from the DMV area who broke out in 2019 off the strength of his debut EP Waiting on Ascension. He would go on to follow this up with the full-length debut We Ain’t the Same alongside a couple of mixtapes & 3 more EPs, the previous being The Revive which was a prelude to his Internet Money-backed debut mixtape Ascension. But as Ty gears up for a sequel to the latter, he’s returning with a 5th EP.

“DSO (4AM in the Black Truck)” starts it all off by Ty speaking on finding his purpose on top of a cloudy trap instrumental whereas “The Sky is Falling” with TTM Dawg finds the pair talking about the type of freaks they like over a moody backdrop with some hi-hats interpolating the Jay Sean/Lil Wayne song “Down” during the hook. “Sexc Lady” comes through with a more sample-based trap vibe describing just how sexy the woman in his life is, but then “Spread (on da Counter)” is an atmospheric/acoustic hybrid with some braggadocio-infused lyricism.

Moving on from there with “Lobstermac”, we have Ty talking about eating exactly that for dinner accompanied by another cloudy trap beat leading into the brief yet delicately produced “heartbreak hotel” telling his girl to fly with him even though she’s sober now. “Where I’d B” featuring Highway happens to be a favorite of mine off the EP from the vibrant instrumental to the lyrics about being lost without their lovers, but then “B.S.T. (BloodSweatTears)” is a 2-minute piano trap ballad explaining that it’s do it for as well as giving praise to the most high.

The song “City of Angels (Vinny Chase)” flips “Whole Lotta Something Goin’ On” by Raphael Ravenscroft referring to Los Angeles as his 2nd home which I can relate to personally while “The Come Down” returns to an airier, more melodic vibe pointing out the fact that it could be worse. “Keep It In Confidence” however ties things up here by hooking up hi-hats on top of a high-pitched sample by taking everything he was told & putting his trust into them.

Ascension still stands as my personal favorite body of work throughout Ty’s discography thus far & this prelude EP over here has me intrigued to hear what direction the sequel will take it when we get it presumably later on in the year. He does a fine job displaying his versatility whether it be poppy trap bangers or contemporary/alternative R&B ballads as L.3.G.I.O.N. helping him continue to expand his sound on the production end.

Score: 3.5/5